The system for presenting visual features to a pilot of an aerial vehicle contains a flight display. The flight display includes a display screen, a programmable device, an input device, and a memory. A plurality of visual features is contained in the memory. A plurality of feature characteristics is contained in the memory. Each of the feature characteristics is linked to at least one of the features. An environmental device communicates with the input device. The environmental device inputs an approximately present environmental condition of the aerial vehicle to the input device. The programmable device compares the approximately present environmental condition to the feature characteristics to determine which of the features stored in the memory to display on the flight display.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A system to present visual features of a geographic region on a display module of an aircraft, the system comprising: a flight display, the flight display including a display screen, a programmable device, an input device, and a memory; visual feature data relating to a plurality of visual features in the geographic area contained in the memory; feature characteristic data relating to a plurality of feature characteristics associated with the visual features contained in the memory; and an environmental device in communication with the input device, wherein the environmental device inputs an environmental condition associated with the aerial vehicle to the input device, wherein the programmable device compares the environmental condition to the feature characteristic data associated with visual features in the geographic region to selectively display visual features in the geographic region on the flight display.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, and the environmental device further comprises an altimeter and the feature characteristics further comprises altitudes at which the visual features are materially visibly distinguishable, whereby the programmable device only shows distinguishable visual features on the display screen.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, and the environmental device further comprises an altimeter and the feature characteristics further comprise altitudes of the visible features, whereby the programmable device calculates a distance between the visual features and the aerial vehicle to determine which visual features are distinguishable and only shows distinguishable visual features on the display screen.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, and the environmental device further comprises an altimeter and the feature characteristics further comprise dimensions of the visible features, whereby the programmable device calculates a distance between the visual features and the aerial vehicle as compared to the dimensions of the visual features to determine which visual features are distinguishable and only shows distinguishable visual features on the display screen.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the environmental device further comprises a clock and the feature characteristics further comprise at which hours the visual features are materially visibly distinguishable, whereby the programmable device only shows distinguishable visual features on the display screen.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programmable device compares the approximately present environmental condition to the feature characteristics to determine which of the visual features stored in the memory are most predominant and displays a restricted number of visual features on the flight display.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, and the environmental device further comprises: a positioning device inputting a position of the aerial vehicle to the input device; and an aircraft compass inputting a direction of the aerial vehicle to the input device, whereby the programmable device only shows visual features viewable through a cockpit window, having the position and direction of the aerial vehicle, on the display screen.
8. A method to present visual features of a geographic region on a display module of a vehicle, the method comprising: providing a map of the geographic region on a display screen, wherein the map comprises a plurality of visible features in the geographic region; sensing an environmental condition associated with the aerial vehicle; communicating the approximately present environmental condition to a programmable device; comparing, in the programmable device, the environmental condition to feature characteristic data associated with a plurality of feature characteristics, the feature characteristics linked to the plurality of visual features in the geographic region, to selectively display visual features in the geographic region on a map on the flight display.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, further comprising: detecting, in the environmental device, an altitude of the aerial vehicle comparing, in the programmable device, the altitude of the aerial vehicle with feature characteristic data associated with visual features in the geographic region; and displaying on the map only those visual features which are distinguishable at the altitude of the aerial vehicle.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, further comprising: comparing, in the programmable device, the altitude of the aerial vehicle with an altitude associated with visual features in the geographic region; and displaying on the map only those visual features which are distinguishable the altitude of the aerial vehicle.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, further comprising sensing an amount of available natural light exterior to the aerial vehicle.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, and the further comprising calculating distances between the visual features and the aerial vehicle.
13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising sensing visually impairing weather conditions proximate the vehicle.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, and further comprising sensing a position of the aerial vehicle relative to the visual features.
15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising calculating an angular range of visibility for the pilot.
16. The method of claim 8 , further comprising limiting a number of the visual features shown on the display screen to a predetermined fixed limit.
17. A system to present visual features of a geographic region on a display module of an aircraft, the system comprising: means for providing a map of the geographic region on a display of the aerial vehicle; means for sensing an environmental condition associated with the aerial vehicle; means for communicating the approximately present environmental condition to a programmable device; and means for comparing, in the programmable device, the environmental condition to feature characteristic data associated with a plurality of feature characteristics, the feature characteristics linked to the plurality of visual features in the geographic region, to selectively display visual features in the geographic region on a map on the flight display.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, and further comprising a means for determining a distance between the aerial vehicle and each of the visual features.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the means for sensing further comprises a means for sensing an availability of natural light.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle comprises an aerial vehicle, and the means for sensing further comprises a means for sensing an altitude of the aerial vehicle.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 13, 2008
May 29, 2012
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